IAE Academy

GATE 2025 IN Q.33: solution and answer

GATE 2025 · INQ.33 · 1 mark · NAT

Consider the function , where is a complex variable. The sum of the residues at singular points of is ________ (in integer).

See the question in the paper

Answer and solution

ANSWER

The residues are at and at , so their sum is .

Official answer: 2Source: Official answer key, GATE 2025 IN (IIT Roorkee)

  1. Factor the denominator: , so . The only singular points are and . The numerator is not zero at either point (it equals and ), so both are simple poles.

  2. At a simple pole the residue is .

  3. At : .

  4. At : .

  5. Sum of the residues: .

  6. Check with partial fractions: , because . The residues are the coefficients, and .

  7. Second check: for large , , so the residue at infinity is . All residues, including the one at infinity, add to zero, so the finite residues must add to .

KEY IDEA

For a proper rational function with simple poles, each residue is the partial-fraction coefficient: cover up the factor and put in what is left. As a quick check, the finite residues of a rational function add up to minus the residue at infinity. That equals the coefficient of in the large- expansion, here the leading-coefficient ratio .

WATCH OUT FOR

Using where the pole is at , or getting the sign wrong in at , so the residue there comes out instead of and the sum becomes . Another slip is to include the residue at infinity () in the sum and answer . The question asks only for the singular points, which are and .

From the GATE 2025 IN paper. Every question of this paper · Download the full paper · All 24 Complex analysis questions, with notes

More Complex analysis questions